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The Glass Ceiling
"The Glass Ceiling" is the second episode of the first season of the Murdoch Mysteries and the second episode of the series. It first aired on January 27, 2008. Summary A lawyer named Percy Pollack is killed. Then a judge is killed. William Murdoch learns from Thomas Brackenreid that Brackenreid, the lawyer, and the judge were all involved in the conviction of a killer. The killer supposedly later died in a fire, but Julia Ogden determines that the body autopsied could not have been that of the murderer. Murdoch learns from the lawyer's widow that her late husband was investing in a project being developed by Gilbert Birkins, a doctor who once shared his practice with the doctor who conducted the suspicious autopsy. Through it all, Murdoch is offered a chance to interview for a position as the inspector of Station House No. 3. He loses the position when Chief Constable Stockton learns that Murdoch is Roman Catholic and reminds Brackenreid that "Toronto is a Protestant city." Character Revelations * Murdoch grew up in Nova Scotia. * Murdoch once worked in the logging industry and lived in Montreal for two years. * Murdoch has been with the police force for 10 years; 5 as a constable before serving as acting detective for 2 years. He became full detective 3 years before this episode. * Murdoch is Roman Catholic. * Murdoch's father had been a fisherman in Nova Scotia and his mother died when he was "only a lad." * The name of Murdoch's deceased fiancée is revealed to have been Liza Milner. Continuity * First appearance of Margaret Brackenreid and sons, though the children are credited only as "Brackenreid Child." * First appearance of Lachlan Murdoch as Constable Henry Higgins. * William and Julia's relationship starts its slow-burn when Dr. Ogden finds out Murdoch may leave for another post. Historical References * This episode takes place in Toronto 1895 – Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria 1819 - 1901) is Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, and Empress of India. * Invention of the mechanized-bicycle, the future motorcycle. * Allusion to the development of Corn Flakes and Kellogg is mentioned. Trivia * George comes up with the term "tracing". * George shares with Murdoch that he once had an idea for meat in a can. * "Three Little Maids From School Are We" from The Mikado by Gilbert and Sullivan is playing on Dr. Julia Ogden's Edison phonograph in the City Morgue. * Director of Photography David Perrault, CSC, uses a 360 degree continuous shot in the Station House when Brackenreid and Murdoch discuss the case. * This episode was originally intended to be the pilot episode. * An uncredited professional contortionist was hired to be the naked body, Percival Pollack, stuffed inside the trunk. * While the man photographed as Walter Ayott is uncredited, he is prop master, Craig Grant, who has appeared in the background of a few episodes, including Invention Convention and Hell to Pay. * "Me Ol' Mucker" Count: 2 Notable Quotes : George to Murdoch: "You know, I had an idea once to put meat in a can. Think about it. You could send it halfway across the world if you wanted to." Errors * At the beginning of the episode, a Leyden Jar is referred to as a "capacitor". That term did not come into general use until the latter part of the 20th century. In the late 19th century. the device would have been referred to as a "condenser". * One of the Medal Ribbons worn by Chief Stockton is the General Service Medal issued from 1964 to 2000. This was a UK Medal that was also issued to Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand armed forces. * Detective Murdoch walks into Dr. Ogden's office as she is listening to a Gilbert & Sullivan melody on her Edison Diamond Disc phonograph. The show at this time is set in 1894 or 1895; Edison did not create his flat-disc phonograph until 1914. Prior to that, Edison's musical output came from cylinders. * When Inspector Thomas Brackenreid is cut by a scalpel at the end, he is sliced in the gut and clearly shown holding his hand to his vest (below his pocket watch chain) where a bloody incision opens from his abdomen and through the vest. When Brackenreid returns to the station from the hospital he is inexplicably wearing a sling on his arm, and there is no evidence that the wound was to his abdomen - but rather it's implying that his arm was injured. Especially since he tells Murdoch he's in need of "a good right hand... or left-hand man to keep me out of trouble." * Inspector Brackenreid uses the term "brown-nose", which didn't originate until the 1930s. Cast Main Cast Yannick Bisson as William Murdoch Hélène Joy as Julia Ogden Thomas Craig as Thomas Brackenreid Jonny Harris as George Crabtree Recurring Cast Arwen Humphreys as Margaret Brackenreid Daniel Fleming as Bobby Brackenreid John Fleming as John Brackenreid Lachlan Murdoch as Constable Henry Higgins Allan Royal as Chief Constable Stockton Guest Cast Rick Roberts as Dr. Gilbert Birkins Sarah Orenstein as Clara Pollack James Kirchner as Cabbie Diane Latchford as Mrs. Gibson Patrick Stevenson as Delmer Ward Uncredited Cast Uncredited as Percival Pollack Uncredited as Henry Scott Craig Grant as Walter Ayott References * Station House Four * Station House Three * Montreal * Mimico * Birkins Farms * Mechanized Bicycle * Telephone * Union Station * City Morgue * Phonograph * "Three Little Maids From School Are We" * Lawson's Butchery * Nova Scotia * Harry Murdoch * Elizabeth Milner * Don Jail * Self-Pouring Teapot * Corn Shards * University of Toronto Gallery File:Glass_ceiling_01.jpg|Chiefs of Police File:Glass_ceiling_02.jpg|Delivery for Brackenreid File:Glass_ceiling_03.jpg|Have You Missed Me? File:Glass_ceiling_04.jpg|Percy's Post Mortem File:Glass_ceiling_05.jpg|Greetings From Bobby and Johnny File:Glass_ceiling_06.jpg|You Set Me Up! File:Glass_ceiling_07.jpg|Interviewing Dr. Gilbert Birkins File:Glass_ceiling_08.jpg|June Bugs! File:Glass_ceiling_09.jpg|Percival Pollack File:Glass_ceiling_10.jpg|Murdoch and Crabtree|link=Bicycle File:Glass_ceiling_11.jpg|The Motorcycle File:Glass_ceiling_12.jpg|I'd Like You to Reconsider Category:Episodes Category:Season Error Category:Season One